APTA Experts Participate in National Work Group on Falls Prevention

Last week, 2 APTA members participated in the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute's (PCORI) Preventing Injuries From Falls in the Elderly work group meeting held in Washington, DC. Bonita (Lynn) Beattie, PT, MPT, MHA, vice president of injury prevention, National Council on Aging, and Steven Wolf, PT, PhD, FAPTA, FAHA, professor, departments of rehab medicine and medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, are part of a 14-member diverse work group that includes perspectives of researchers, patients, and other stakeholders.

Beattie presented in a session on patient and stakeholder perspectives on information gaps. Wolf spoke during the researcher presentations. The work group also discussed proposed research topics, refinement of research questions to be addressed, and next steps.

More information and presentation slides from the meeting can be found on PCORI's website. PCORI is accepting comments and questions through March 26, and the group will consider input as it develops targeted funding announcements to address falls prevention.

PCORI aims to help people make informed health care decisions and improve health care delivery and outcomes by producing and promoting high-integrity, evidence-based information that comes from research guided by patients, caregivers, and the broader health care community.